The present invention relates to a parking brake declutching system that automatically places a transmission in neutral when the parking brake is set and permits the transmission to be re-engaged only when the parking brake is released.
It is conventional to provide earth-working machines with a parking brake that is normally spring applied and fluid pressure released. Thus, the parking brake after being engaged remains engaged until control pressure is directed to the parking brake actuator for disengaging it.
A problem arises in that the earth-working machine engine is capable of moving the machine with the parking brake engaged. If the operator should forget to disengage the parking brake and begin to drive the machine, the engine can overpower the parking brake thereby damaging the brake system for the machine. Thus, there has been a need for a parking brake declutching system where the parking brake actuator is interconnected with the transmission to place the transmission in neutral when the parking brake is set. Further, the parking brake declutching system should prevent re-engagement of the transmission until the parking brake is released.